Signal device for automobiles.



J. F. ANDERSON.

- SIGNA L DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1914.

LMBASK Patented Ju1y 27, 1915.

JOHN F. ANDERSON, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

I SIGNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

incense Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2?, 31915.

Application filed. January 8, 1914. Serial No. 810,9$9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. ANDERSON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signaling devices for automobiles or other vehicles; and its object is the provision of inexpensively constructed devices of this character which may be conveniently employed by a chaufieur or driver to indicate to others his intention to stop or the direction in which the vehicle is to be turned. 7

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and adaptation of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile with the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the signal apparatus. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig; i is a rear elevational view of the same.

Pig. 5 is a detail sectional View of the controller whereby the driver regulates the electrio circuits for both the step and direction 3 signal appliances. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating diagrammatically the electric circuit connections for the signal appliances and the controller for the same.

The reference numeral 10 designates the body of an automobile, 11 is a mud-guard for one of the front traction wheels and 12 is the steering post which is operated through the medium of a-wheel 13 and extends through a supporting tube 14. "All of the above parts maybe of ordinary or suit able construction.

According to my invention 1 utilize a direction-indicator which is preferably in the form of an arrow 15 secured to the top of a hollow rotary post 16. This post is secured at its lower end to a screw 17, which extends for rotation through a hole provided in the bottom 18 of a casing 18. The post is also journaled to a standard which projects upwardly from the casing top 18 Near its lower end, post 16 is provided with an arm 20 having adjacent to the post a shoulder 20 and terminating in a bifurcated extremity 20 which is ofiset to be at a distance below the plane of said shouldered portion. 21 represents a pin extending through a slot provided in the arm 20 for pivotal connection with a resilient blade 23 whose free end is supported upon the arm shoulder 20 and has'its other end fastened to the casing.

The blade 23 constitutes the armature of electric-magnets 25 and 25 disposed upon opposite sides thereof.

When the magnet 25, for example, is energized, the armature blade 23 is drawn thereto and efiects the turning of said post so that the arrow will be turned toward the left. When the other-magnet, 25 is energized the post will accordingly be turned in a contrary direction to point the arrow toward the right.

Positioned between the magnets and be-. low the armature blade is a flexible magnetic bar 26 having its rearward end secured to the casing bottom and its other end terthe bifurcations of the post-arm 20 for the purpose of preventing any turning movement to the post or the arrow; but when either of said magnets is energized the bar is attracted thereby to raise the same to disengage the finger from said arm and allow the same to be swung to one side or the other through the instrumentality of the armature blade.

In addition to the aforedescribed direction-indicating devices, the invention includes a stop sign in the nature of a plate 28 which is preferably in the shape of a letter 3, see Fig. 1-. Said plate is hingedly connected to the casing top 18 by means of a transversely arranged rod 29 rigidly secured to the plate and extending through apertured attachments such as 30, provided on casing.

i o rod 29 terminates at one end in a crank-arm 29 which is desirably i'nclosed in a housing 31 provided on the casing-top and opening into chamber within the casing proper 32 represents a lever fulcrumed to a pin 32 and has its free end engaged with the crank-arm 29 of said rod. Intermediate its length the lever carries the armature 33 for an electro-magnet 34 which is adapted to attract the lever 32 through the agency of armature 33 and in opposition to a spring When the lever is thus drawn toward the magnet it causes the crank 29 to impart a partial rotation to the rod 'to tilt up the plate 28 from the position in which 1t s shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that in which 1t is shown by broken lines a in Fig. 2 and by full lines in Fig. 4.

36 represents a reflector which, as shown, is formed with or secured to the sign-plate 28 although it may, if preferred, be fixedly secured to the casing. An incandescent electric lamp 37 is provided for a socket 38 which is secured to said sign-plate to move in unison therewith. The socket 38 is joined to a circuit wire 39 and its complementary connection 40 includes a switch having a stationary contact 40 secured to the casing and a movable element 40 secured to the plate 28 and so arranged that the light circuit will be incomplete when the plate 28 is down, but when it is swung up the contact 40 will be juxtaposed by the element 40 to complete the circuit. When the light is thus obtained the rear of the sign will be illuminated by the direct rays from the light and also by those reflected from the refiector 36.

41 and 41 denote incandescent electric lights secured to the ends of the arrow 15, the globe of the light at the arrow point being preferably transparent or white and the other light of red glass.

Referring now to the wiring diagram, Fig. 6, B represents an electric battery, which is connected with the lights 41 and 41 in series by circuit wires 42 and 42 a switch 43 being provided in the circuit so as to cut out the current when desired. 44 and 44 represent spaced contacts for the helices of magnets 25 and 25 the latter being connected with one pole of the battery by wires 45 and 45 The other pole of the battery is' connected by circuit wire 46 with .a gapclosure 47 which is adapted to be swung into contact with either of the contacts 4-4 or 44.

according to the magnet which is to be utilized.

The magnet 34 is connected with the batthe magnet 34.

By preference, the gap-closure 47 is constituted of a lever, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, which is rotatably mounted on a switchboard 52 attached to the steering wheel. There is provided upon the lever 47 a protuberance 53 which is disposed to contact with one of the terminals of wires 44 or 44 which are secured to the switch-board, according to the direction in which the lever is turned.

The contact or attachment 50 is preferably formed on the extremity of the arm of a bell-crank lever which is fulcrumed to a pin 54 and has its other arm 50 extend upwardly with respect to the lever. A spring 55 interposed between the lever 47 and arm 50 yieldingly holds the contact away from its mate 49.

To close the gap between the contacts 49 and 50, the arm 50 is pushed by the operator in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. The contact 49 is, moreover, of such size and location as to be engageable by the contact 50 at any position into which the lever 47 may be moved. The arm 50 also may serve as a handle whereby the lever 47 is rotated.

In operation, when the vehicle is to be stopped, the chauifeur, through the agency of the lever arm 50, closes the circuits of electro-magnet 34, whereupon the lever 32 is affected to exercise a turning movement to the rod 29 which, in turn, tilts the stop emblem or plate 28 upwardly into view. When the circuit is again broken, the spring 35 supplemented by the weight of the plate, restores the latter to its position on the easing 18.

To work the direction-indicator the circuit for the magnets 25 or 25 is completed to swing the arrow toward the right or left, as explained.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a direction indicator for automobiles, a pointer, a rotatable post carrying said pointer, an arm projecting from said post, a flexible bar having one end fixedly supported and having its remaining end slidably and pivotally connected with said arm, said bar being of paramagnetic material, a second flexible bar of paramagnetic material having one end fixed and the remaining end normally in looking relation to said arm, a plurality of magnets on opposite sides of the first bar and above the second bar, and selective means to close a circuit through a magnet on either side of the first bar.

2. In a direction indicator for automobiles, a pointer, a rotatable post carrying said pointer, an arm projecting from said post, a flexible bar having one end fixedly supported and having its remaining end slidably and pivotally connected with said arm, said bar being of paramagnetic material, said arm being provided with a slotted end, a second paramagnetic bar having one end fixed and the remaining end provided with Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 31st daj of a finger normally promoting into said slot, December, 1913.

and a plurality of magnets fixed upon each JQHN F. ANDERSON. side of the first bar and above the second Witnesses:

5 bar, and means to selectively energize said E. PETERSON,

magnets. Homoxi BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be ebtained for five cents each, by adghessixig the Commis sio'ner of Patents, '7

Washington, D. G. 

